Pirelli and the Italian Ministry of the Environment, with the collaboration of the Forum das Américas, last week presented a project for the construction of the world’s first large dimension solar plant for the onsite production of average temperature steam at the service of the manufacturing cycle of the Pirelli factory at Feira de Santana in the state of Bahia, Brazil.

The creation of the plant brings into effect a collaboration agreement signed in January 2012 by the Ministry and Pirelli for the purpose of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. It is within the context of the environmental cooperation between Italy and Brazil, which was reinforced in June 201 by an agreement signed with Italy’s Minister of the Environment and the Brazilian Minister of Energy.

Taking part in the event were the director general of sustainable development, the climate and energy of the Ministry, Corrado Clini; the consul general of Italy at San Paolo, Mauro Marsili; the director of the ICE Agency of Sao Paolo, Federico Balmas; the president of Pirelli South America, Paolo Dal Pino; and the president of Forum das Américas, Mario Garnero.

Among the project’s participants is the Milan Polytechnic, a seat of learning that has already worked with Pirelli in the field of research and that will be responsible for the preliminary study of the project, and the Gruppo Angelantoni. The Group will supply the exclusive concentrated solar thermo-dynamic technology, developed in Italy with a contribution of the country’s Ministry of the environment. In line with collaboration agreements with the Ministry of the Environment, the Italian Foreign Commerce Agency, ICE and the Brazilian organisation Forum das Américas will ensure the project is monitored during its construction.

The solar plant will be will be connected directly to the steam line used for the production of tyres and the solar catchment area will cover an area of 2,400 square metres within the Feira de Santana factory boundaries.

Maximum power of the system could reach 1.4 MW and will provide a quota of the installation’s normal thermal supply production cycle.